Meeting room hire: easily present your business with confidence

Modern businesses demand flexibility and convenience, without compromising their image. High quality meeting room hire helps to meet this need.

Many moons ago, I was organising a group interview for a newly created position within the company. We wanted to interview our shortlist of 10 candidates together – in the same room at the same time. First of all, the traditional, single candidate interview can be an artificial process. Furthermore it can also intimidate, especially if there are multiple interviewers to one candidate. Our thinking was that by creating a less formal, more fluid and more naturally social atmosphere, our candidates would relax and be more authentic. The hope was that they would also interact, spark off each other and that their natural qualities would rise to the fore – for better or worse. And by ensuring the candidates outnumbered the interviewers, we could reduce the intimidation factor.

The benefits and risks of group interviews

One-to-one interviews can take forever, even with a handful of candidates. Time is not a luxury for a small business. Much of the interview process is tedious and repetitive. In contrast, how much quicker would it be if we could explain the nature of our business and the type of person we where looking for to all our candidates at the same time?

Without a doubt there are inherent risks to this approach. Candidates might actually be more intimidated being interviewed en masse! Maybe introverts would recoil at the idea of group therapy interviewing. Or the more expressive candidates could dominate to the detriment of more reserved applicants. Most worryingly, there was the possibility of toe-curling, competitive ‘Apprentice’-style bravado and bickering making a nonsense of the whole exercise!

Access to high quality space without the commitment

Ultimately our main challenge – it turned out – was far more practical. As a start-up business, we simply didn’t have the physical space in our office to comfortably interview 10 people all at once. It was hard enough cramming in ourselves and our existing staff, let alone 10 extra people. Frankly, it caused a bit of head scratching. However, with a little creativity we were able to solve this problem. A local theatre offered us a room for an afternoon including refreshments and some IT equipment – a screen for a Powerpoint presentation. Above all, it gave a large, air-conditioned and impressive space to conduct our interviews.

As a result, it all worked rather well in fact. The interview process was a lot of fun for everyone, and we were able to select the best candidate without too much difficulty.

To find out more about organising a successful group interview, here are some excellent tips and ideas.

Flexible Meeting room hire: a no-brainer

It recently struck me how much easier this process would have been today. The easy availability of temporary, high quality meeting rooms in central London would have made this a no-brainer. Nearly all serviced office providers have meeting rooms for their tenants to book on an ad hoc basis. As these rooms are not in use all the time, they will also make them available to non-tenants on a very flexible basis. For instance, you could book a room once – for a specific activity and never use it again. Alternatively, you could also have an ongoing regular weekly or monthly slot, if appropriate. Finally, you could just book a room on an ad hoc basis, only when you need it. Use it to meet clients, suppliers, conduct interviews, or arrange staff training in a central location. It really is up to you.

Modern businesses demand flexibility and convenience, without compromising their image. High quality meeting room hire helps to meet this need.

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Technology: the catalyst for a modern, fluid business

Technology has made our use of office space far more fluid. Many more employees can now work remotely from home or elsewhere. Some businesses may no longer need permanent space in central London. Many choose to base themselves in more cost-effective, more convenient peripheral locations. Some will also opt for a virtual business address in central London to maintain presence and credibility. Importantly however, even the most modern, most fluid businesses will sometimes need physical, communal space. And that’s where flexible meeting room hire in great central London office locations come in.

Even the most modern, most fluid businesses will sometimes need physical, communal space. And that’s where flexible meeting room hire in great central London office locations come in

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Make the right first impression

Meeting room hire along with a virtual office address at the same central location make an excellent combination. Instantly present your business image correctly without any commitment or long-term expense.

Meeting rooms can be booked by the hour, the day or even longer should you need it. Coffee, tea, sandwiches, client greeting and a wealth of other services are on offer. Audio/Visual and IT equipment is available for conference calling and presentations. It goes without saying that super fast wi-fi connectivity is standard.

Notably, there is plenty of choice available – both on size and on location. From large boardrooms to small ‘interview’ rooms to suit your requirements.

And of course, the number one advantage: no long term commitment. You just pay for what you need, when you need it.

The number one advantage of flexible meeting room hire: no long term commitment. You just pay for what you need, when you need it.

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Here at Find a London Office, we have details of every available meeting room in Central London. Perfect if you’re looking for somewhere central to meet your clients or suppliers, conduct job interviews or hold board or staff meetings. Head along over to our meeting room hire page to let us know what you are looking for.